Wellbeing

Welcome

[PWD Vlog]

Student Living

YSJSU are here to support you throughout your time at university. One of the biggest steps you will take in coming here is breaking away from the family and living on your own (potentially) for the first time.

In most cases, students will start in our owned or affiliated accommodations sites. There may be times where issues arise in your accommodation, and if they do, the best place to go is to the university accommodation team.

You can visit accommodation by going into Holgate (opposite Temple Hall) where you will find the hatch. Or alternatively, head here to grab the contact details.

So, what happens next? At uni it may always seem that you’re having to think about what comes next. When you think of living, the next step is often finding somewhere with your friends to see out the rest of your university life. There are some
key things that you should know to make that move smoother.

Council Tax

It’s no secret that no one really likes paying council tax. It’s even less of a secret that students are exempt from paying it. But how do I go about it you ask? Well, it’s simple really. If you are a full-time student at YSJ you can apply for
council tax exemption here

Unfortunately, If you are a Part-time student you are not entitled to council tax exemption, but there are plenty of other reductions that you can look into and may be able to receive. To find out more about those, head here

Student Finance – Undergraudates

SFE (Student Finance England) are the funding body for all students in the UK. You will receive 3 instalments of finance in each year of study. Traditionally these are: SEPTEMBER, JANUARY, APRIL. We are aware that finance doesn’t always stretch
very far so we have a number of additional support options available for all students. To check your payments or amend your details with SFE head

Student Finance – Postgraudates (Taught/Research/PhD)

There is now funding available for PG students too! Loans for Postgraduate students are not means-tested and are paid in three instalments each year. You will be able to apply using the same info you gave them for your first three years. Postgraduates
for Taught and Research programmes will receive a maximum of £10,609 (you choose how much you want) which will contribute towards the cost of tuition and living costs. There is now also a PhD loan which is available up to the amount of £25,000.
To find out more head

YSJ Student Funding

We work very closely with the Student Funding Advice Team who are based in Student Services. They are available to provide advice and guidance on all aspects of student funding including loans, grants, bursaries etc. They oversee the administration
of the Student Support Fund for 18-19 and provide students who are struggling financially with access to a Foodbank. We work together throughout the year to offer a wide range of campaigns to raise awareness of why budgeting and being money savvy
is so important as well as on areas such as debt and how to avoid it.

You can book an appointment with the Student Funding Advice Team by visiting the Student Information Desk, in the main Holgate building, next the University Reception. Advice and information is also available over the phone, via email and on their
webpages.

To learn more about how the Student Funding Advice Team might be able to help you, click here

Safe City

York is proud to call itself one of the UK’s safest cities. But, you can never be too careful. Here at the SU we have a number of things we think you should pay attention to in order to get the safest experience whilst being a student at York St
John University.

Plan Safe, Drink Safe, Stay Safe!

We all enjoy a good night out with friends, but we also need to be careful – we aren’t the fun police but we do take your safety in York to heart. In our campaign we will promote safe drinking by providing food and water on those initial nights
out in Freshers’ Week. Remember the steps and you’ll have a good night all round!

The River

Annually we run the Don’t Drink and Drown in line with the Royal Life Saving Society. It’s important that all our students stay safe by the river and take care on a night out. Keep an eye out for the campaign, but don’t let that stop you – be safe!

Sexual Health

You are 18, an adult and we appreciate that. What you do outside of your lectures is down to you, but think smart and play it safe. At the SU we provide FREE condoms and female alternatives such as DENTAL DAMS so you can enjoy yourself but be protect whilst doing so. Just swing by the toilet area to pick yours up now.

Safe Surfing

Here are some top tips when thinking about your online safety:

When was the last time you checked your privacy settings? Remember you are in control of what you want to share online.

Check-in to a lot of places? Be careful about who can
see your movements. Getting in to a routine or highlighting that you are going to be out of your property for a few days might give an opportune thief the ability to check out what you have….

What personal details do you have online? Name,
address, phone number, date of birth, email, relationship status? A combination of these can be used to apply for credit in your name.

Be careful who you befriend. Do you really have 541 close friends? If you don’t know them-don’t add them.

Assume that everything you put on a social networking site is permanent. Content that you put on your social networks can be stored and shared at a later date. Make sure yours doesn’t come back to haunt you!

Never post comments that are abusive
or may cause offence to either individuals or groups of society. You are not outside of the law posting comments online.

Third-party applications (games etc) are becoming more and more common, however, are you aware of the information they
can gather from your profile? Be cautious when allowing applications to access your personal details.

Think about how many social media presences you have online- regardless of your use of them, your details are stored online. If you are not
using a site anymore, make sure to deactivate.

Don’t become an internet troll. It is easier than ever to get in touch with celebrities and sports stars, but this doesn’t mean you have the right to send them abusive comments.

If you are
experiencing harassment or bullying online make sure you report it. Block the user and contact the Student Advice Team in Holgate who will be able to offer advice and support.

Personal Safety

If you’re having any personal issues and you are wanting someone to talk to you can come to the Students’ Union and speak to your Welfare and Diversity Officer, Annie Severn or alternatively the Wellbeing team have drop in sessions.

They also have an advice section on their website if you would prefer, it can be found here

If you are wanting some assistance with a domestic issue, bereavement of someone you love, mental health illnesses or any other issues; you can contact the wellbeing team here

The Personal Attack Alarm is small and compact and can fit onto your keys or on your bag for a night out.

They are 130db so are pretty loud and will raise attention if set off, but not to be used and abused messing around.

If you feel like you require a personal attack alarm for any reason please e-mail Annie Severn your Welfare and Diversity Full Time Officer or come into the Students’ Union during the day and ask at Reception, open until 4pm weekdays. They may
also available from the Holgate Student Centre.

If you feel vulnerable at any point, try to stay calm and take some appropriate action. For example, try not to walk home alone in the dark and stay to busier areas. If you are in a situation where you feel at risk, try to make contact with someone
without drawing too much attention to yourself; just texting a friend can help. The best way to empower yourself is to be aware of your surroundings, so keep aware of your surroundings.

Also there are a number of opportunities to learn some self-defense skills through YSJ Active self-defense classes which can be found Here

Getting About

'Pay Safe ‘n’ Stay Safe’, is a service that can help with assisting vulnerable/intoxicated/tired students walking home alone who have run out of cash and need to get home safely. Streamline Taxis operate a vulnerable persons’ service thereby if
someone particularly a student who has run out of money can still get home safely and pay at a later time. The way it works:

You call or get picked up by streamline (01904 656565) and you quote ‘Pay Safe ‘n’ Stay Safe’. You are then taken to destination of choice* Leave your student card as a deposit for your fare. Sign the receipt Pay at Streamline office
within 48hours and pick up your card.

Out Alone?

Being out and about on a night can be great, unless you find yourself alone half way through the night! Whether you lose your friends, or just want to head home earlier/later than others in your group you can get home safe. Ring the Streamline Taxi’s (01904 656565), and inform the call service operator that you are a lone York St John Student. This will then put you at the top of the waiting list for taxi’s, and you will become the priority for Streamline taxi’s. Hopefully this will reduce your waiting time, and get you home safe and sound.

Texting Service (For Hard of Hearing/Deaf students ONLY)

Due to the conditions of Streamlines service, this is unfortunately only available for Deaf/ Hard of Hearing students of YSJ. Through the introduction of this policy, students are now able to send text requests for taxi pick-ups, instead of the traditional calling. This is a specialist service, to request the details and specified contact number.

In the first instance

York is one of the safer student cities in the UK, but hate crime happens, as it does in all parts of the country. In rare cases, students and staff might meet people who use words or actions against them because they have a particular identity.

If this is because of race, religion or belief, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, then this is a hate crime or hate incident. This often happens because of prejudice or ignorance. If left unchallenged, this may result in further
acts of intimidation or violence, against yourself or others. If you have experienced or witnessed a hate incident or crime, report it.

It is very important that hate incidents are reported so that the Police get a picture of what is happening and can take targeted action. Citizen Advice has a good explanation about hate incidents and crime.

The Police want to know about incidents regardless of whether they are a crime or not. The Police will log the incident and take further steps, if required.

However, if you do not wish to report to the Police, then you can report to Stop Hate UK. It does not matter if the ‘characteristic’ is real or perceived.

None Emergency

If it is not an emergency, students can come to discuss their options with either the Welfare Adviser or International Student Support Adviser who are based in Holgate Student Centre. They will give students a confidential space to discuss their
situation and offer information, advice and guidance on reporting incidents should they wish to. We would encourage students and staff who witness or hear about hate incidents, to inform our Welfare Adviser or International Student Support Adviser.
This will help us keep a close watch on hate crime related incidents in our community. On receiving this information, they can liaise with our Police Community Support Officer, Naomi Harris, and the local Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team. Staff
can speak to a member of the Dignity and Respect Network.

If you would rather speak to an external person, a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) is available to listen to you. They can offer information and advice. They can also support you to report but they cannot take a statement. Visit the Student
Advice Team to find out about the next drop-in session.